Articles

On November 6, voters in four states delivered a historic defeat to the
right-wing agenda of legalized hate and discrimination against Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people.

For the first time in U.S. history, a majority of voters came out in
favor of same-sex marriage rights. Maryland, Maine, and Washington state
passed ballot referendums to legalize same-sex marriage. Minnesotans
voted down an amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage in the
state’s constitution.

Same-sex ballot referendums passed despite a well-funded media scare
campaign by right-wing and big business forces, and strong opposition
from the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.

Support for LGBTQ rights has surged in recent years. A May 2011 Gallup
poll showed 53% of Americans believe “same-sex marriage should be
recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional
marriage.” Changing attitudes and recent legal victories are due to
grassroots organizing, militant activism, and greater visibility of
LGBTQ people.

Most importantly, the LGBTQ movement organized itself politically to
demand full equality. In October 2009, as Democrats dragged their feet
on promises to LGBTQ people, grassroots activists organized a National
Equality March on Washington, D.C. demanding Obama immediately embrace
full equality, drawing up to 200,000 people.

String of Victories

Since Vermont became the first state to allow same-sex civil unions in
2009, a string of important victories for LGBTQ rights have been won.
Even before November 6, eight states and the District of Columbia had
legalized same-sex marriage and ten states recognized civil unions.

In May of this year, a federal appeals court ruled the federal Defense
of Marriage Act (DOMA) to be unconstitutional. DOMA codified
non-recognition of same-sex marriages in federal law. Then in June, a
federal appeals court ruled California’s Proposition 8, which banned
same-sex marriage, to be unconstitutional. Both of these rulings are
likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court and – if the Court agrees to
review the rulings - it could be a watershed moment in U.S. History.

In years past, Republican strategists initiated ballot initiatives to
ban same-sex marriage to increase turnout of conservative voters and
distract from their anti-worker policies. This year, that strategy blew
up in their face.

In fact, while the Democrats essentially ignored same-sex ballot battles
in previous years, with growing support for LGBTQ rights, they poured
millions into the 2012 ballot battles. Democrats used same-sex marriage
as a cultural wedge issue to turn out their voting base in the same
cynical manner as the Republicans before them.

In Washington state, where the Democratic Party has controlled
government for years, they finally moved to legalize same-sex marriage
now that it is politically expedient for them. The Democrats needed a
left cover to shift attention away from their unpopular budget cuts to
vital social programs. Obama himself has waffled on marriage equality
and LGBTQ rights in general. Not until October 25, desperate to turn out
voters for his re-election, did Obama finally call for the repeal of
DOMA and endorse the same-sex state ballot initiatives. This only came
after surveys confirmed a majority of Americans support marriage
equality.

Further Struggle Needed

The victories for marriage equality represent a major step forward. Yet
bread-and-butter economic issues, which more significantly impact the
lives of working-class LGBT people, remain off the Democratic Party’s
agenda.

LGBTQ people face rampant discrimination in employment and housing,
increasing levels of violent assaults, and police brutality. A report by
the UCLA Law School shows much higher poverty levels for LGBTQ people,
and especially for lesbians and transgender people.

According to a study by the scholar/activist Richard Juang cited in the
Transgender Workplace Diversity blog, the nationwide unemployment rate
for transgender people is eight times higher than the general
population, and 60% of trans people earn less than $15,300 per year. A
survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality found that 90% of
trans people experience harassment, mistreatment, or discrimination on
the job.

In 29 states, an LGBTQ employee can be legally fired on the basis of
sexual orientation or gender identity. Since 1994, Federal Employment
Non-Discrimination (ENDA) bills banning LGBT (and sometimes transgender)
employment discrimination have been repeatedly introduced in Congress,
including times when Democrats controlled both Houses, but are
consistently rejected.

Mainstream LGBTQ groups like the Human Rights Campaign fail to confront
the structural inequalities inherent in capitalism. They remain tied to
the Democratic Party, and therefore limit their demands and tactics to
what is deemed “achievable” under the corporate-dominated political
system.

But history has shown that all important concessions – including same
sex marriage – granted by the ruling class is the byproduct of struggle
and pressure from below. Now is the time to step up the movement for
full equality for LGBTQ people, linked to a program to end all forms of
hate, bigotry, and oppression under capitalism.